Heel-building machine.



E; A. TRIPP. HEEL BUILDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED DEC. 9, 1907.

Patented May 7, 912

UNITE. s rains PATENT onnron.

ELIPHALETYA. TRIPP, 0F BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 'It) UNITED SHOE MACHINERY CEHVIPANY, 0F PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW' JERSEY.

HEEL-BUILDING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

, Patented May 7 1912.

Application filed December 9, 1907. Serial No. 405,805.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Enirimnn'r A. Tmrr, a citizen of the United States. residing at Beverly. in the county of Essex and (0mmonwealth of lllassachusetts, have invented certain ln'mrovements in Heel-Building hiachines, of which the follmving tltlSCllptloD, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to heel building machines and has for its object to provide an improved machine of this class.

The invention .is shown en'ibodied in a machine wherein lifts to form a heel are assembled within a mold, the walls of which are in part constituted by a form constructed in one continuous piece of yielding elastic material and shaped to embrace the heel lift at their sides and curved ends and in p: by a breastgage which cooperates with the form to provide lift-receiving space. In use of machines of this construction the mold is contracted laterally by mechanism having engagement with opposite sides of the form and said mold is contracted loin gitudinally by movement of the breast gage. lt will be understood that by means of this arrangement the lifts are centered and held in proper relation while they are secured together.

The opening andv the closing movement, of the sides of the form is effected by members connected to said sides adjacent to the breast ends of the form, said members being arranged for simultaneous actuation in opposite directions. In a machine of this type it is desirable that the sides of the form be pressed against the lifts by pressure applied at the proper point in the length of the form to insure that the sides of th form, which are longitudinally flexible. \Vl'll have engagement with the lifts throughoutsubstantially the entire length of said lifts. feature of the present invention accordingly consists in an arrangement whereby the point of ap plication to thefo'rn'i of the laterally closing pressure may be shifted longitudinally of theform to suit heels of different sizes or contours. In the construction shown this result is secured by adjusting longitudinally of the form the connection between the sides of the form and their actuating members. According to a convenient construction, the

actuating members are arranged for movement in fixed paths and the form is adjusted bodily in the direction of its length to secure connection with said members at the desired points.

A further feature of the invention consists in arranging the breast gage for adjustment longitudinally of the mold. .This adjustment may be effected independently of .that given the flexible form and permits the breast gage to be given the precise position necessary to shift the lifts longitudinally into synu'nctrical relation. Thebreast gage is preferably formed witha rigid lift-engaging surface in order that it may exert a positioning action upon the breast edges of the lifts as it presses the lifts r'earwardly of the mold cavity.

A further feature of the invention consists in means for preventing ateral displacement of therear end of the flexible form. According to the arrangement shown, this end of the form is so controlled that it is free to move longitudinally of the mold but is held from movement laterally thereof. Liability of an objectionable distortion of the form with the consequent production of 1 a heel of unsymmetrical contour, such as might be occasioned by lateral displacement of the rear end of the form, is thereby prevented.

Another feature of the invention consists in a novel means for securing the sides of the form to their actuating mechanisn'i. This consists in providing the form with lugspermanently embedded in the material of the form and adapted to be connectedwith said actuating mechanism.

The invention also consists in certain features of construction and arrangements of parts which will be he inrfterwlescribed and delimit in the appended claims.

/ Tn the drawings which illustrate the preferredembodiment of the present invention,-Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved heel building machine; Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken longitudinally of the mold cavity.

Referring to the drawings,,2 is a table having a U-shaped form 4 arranged upon its work-supporting surface. The form 4 is constructed of soft, vulcanized rubber and its inner face conforms approximately in inclination to the pitch of the heels to be through a slot 8 arranged in the table longitudinally of the mold cavity is secured at its lower end td a slide 10 mounted in a guideway parallel with said slot. The pin 6 is arranged to be detachably engaged by the center of the rounded end of the form which is provided with an opening to receive said pin. A lug 1a is embedded in each arm of the rubber form and is provided With openings into whichthe rubber extends as shown in Fig. 1, in order to hold the lug securely in its embedded position. It desired, projecting pins may be formed upon each lug to assist in retaining it within the rubber. Each lug 1 1 is pivotally connected with a slide 16 mounted in a guidevay 18 on the table by means or a detachable pin 20 carried by the slide and extending through one of a series of openings 22 in the lug. With this arrangement it will be observed that the points of connection be tween the form and the slides 16 may be varied to correspond with the size of he'el to be built'and, whenever desired, a new form of ditterent shape or size may be readily substituted for the original one.

Each slide 16 is provided with a vertical. slot in its outer end and a horizontal pin 2i extends through said slot. A lever 26 is pivoted upon each side of the table .2 and a slot-is formed in the'uppei' end of each lever and arranged to engage one of the pins '24. A vertical rod 28 is secured at its upper end in the table 2 at a point centrally of the points of pivotal support for the levers 26, and a head 30 is mounted for sliding movement upon this rod and arranged to be depressed by a suitable trcadle. A coil spring mounted upon the rod 28' and engaging at its upper end the head 30-and at its lower end a collar 32, ad justably secured upon the rod, tends to hold the head in its upper position. Upon each side of the head 30 is pivoted at its upper end a toggle link 34 and each link has its lower end pivotally connected with one of the levers 26. As will be apparent from the drawings, the ar-.

rangement is such that in the downward movement of the head the levers are moved equally in opposite directions, thusmoving together the two sides of the form 4.

A. breast gage 85, having an unyielding lift-engaging surface, is secured upon the outer end of a plate 36 thatv is arranged to slide in the guideway 12. The plate is provided with adepending flange 38 having a horizontal opening through which extends the threaded end of a slide 40 arranged in a suitable guideway for movement longitudinally of the mold. -.A nut adapted to be manipulated by the operator, is mounted ups?) .the threaded end of the rod and is provided with a circular flange 4.4 arranged to engage a. vertical recess formed in the construction that the position of the breast gage with relation to the slide 40 may be varied to suit heels of diiferent lengths.

A lever -16 pivoted between its ends on the front of the table 2 has a yoke at its upper end provided with openings arranged to engage the ends of a pin 48 extending through the slide 40. The lower end of the lever 46 is provided with an inclined cam slot 50 arranged to receive a pin 52 carried by cars secured to the head 30. The cam slot is so inclined and arranged that depression of the head causes the breast gage to he moved inwardly toward the rear-of the mold and upward movement of the head causes the breast gage to be moved away from the mold.

Preliminary to use of the machme shown, the parts of the mold are adjusted to accommodate the size and the contour of the par ticular heels to be assembled. To this end the connections between the sides of the form and their actuating slides are adjusted into proper position longitudinally of the form to secure thebcst results. This position may be determined by trial and varies with the.

size and contour of the heels to be built. Tt will be understood that since the sides of the form are' longitudinally flexible they may conform to the curvature of the sides of the lifts, even though that curvature is ditfcrei'it from the normal curvature of the sides of the form. To insure that the form will be pressed into even engagement with the lifts throughout their entire length, it is important that the closing pressure be applied to the form at points so chosen as to bend the sides of the form' into conformity with the lifts in case the normal curvature of the form diti'ers from the contour of the lifts. Furthermore it will be seen that if the points of connection between-the form and its actuating mechanism were in advance of the breast corners of the heel, the sides of the form at points back of the breast instead of being pressed into cngageu'ient with the heel by the pressure applied to the form might be bent outwardly away from the heel about the breast corners as lulcrums. 'For reasons such as the foregoing the adjustment permitted said connections is of advantage in securing a symmetrical positioning of the lifts.

After the connections between the form and the actuating slides have been properly adjusted by trial, the breast die is adjusted longitudinally of the form into such position that when the mold is closed the lifts will be pressed firmly into engagement with the curved end of the form. As will be ob vious, the breast die may be conveniently adjusted from time to time to secure the best results. The breast die is of advantage not i only in that it insures .close contact between depending flange 38. It will be seen with this the walls of the mold and the ends of the heel, but also in that ittends to bring the lifts into such relative position that their breast edges are parallel. This-is due to the fact that the face of the die is rigid and by its engagement with the lifts thus tends to position their breast edges in a parallel re lation. r

In the use of the machine, the lifts to be assembled are successively introduced into the mold and their cqntacting surfaces covered with paste. The mold is closed upon the lifts each lift is introduced and thus shifts the lifts into symmetrical relation. In the opening and closing of the mold the curved end of the flexible form moves longitudinally of the mold and is guided in such movement by the slide 10. The curved end of the form'is thus prevented from lateral displacement such as might be occasioned,

for example, by an irregularity incontour of the lift. This feature is of advantage in facilitating the production of heels of a symmetrical contour, since if the form is distorted laterally itcauses the lifts to be assen'ibled'in an unsymmetrical relation.

After the heel has been built to a desired height. the lifts are secured together by one or more nails and the completed heel is then removed from the mold.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A heel building machine, having'in combination, a flexible U-shaped form arranged to provide a lift-receiving space and means for closing the form upon a plurality of lifts by pressure applied to its opposite sides at predetermined points in the length thereof (.:onstructed and arranged to permit the points of application of said pressure with respect to the length of the form to be varied. v

2. A hee l building machine, having in combination, a flexible U-shaped form arranged to provide a lift-receiving space, means for pressing the sides of the forminwardl-y against the lifts being assembled, and means for guiding the curved end of the form for movement in the direction of the length of the lift-receiving space.

3. A heel building machine, having in con'lbination, a flexible U-shaped form arranged to provide a lift-receiving space, means for pressing the sides of the form against the lifts being assembled, a breast die arranged for movement longitudinally.

of the lift-receiving space, and means for positively moving said. die toward the rear of the form simultaneously with the closing movement ofthe sides of the form.

4. A heel building machine, having in combination, a U-shaped form of flexible material arranged to provide a lift-receiving space, means for pressing the sides of the form against the lifts beii'ig assembled, a breast die arranged for movement longitndinally of the lift receiving space, meat for positively moving the die tUhYdl'f/ l the rear of the form 'simultaneously with the closi movement of the sides ofthe form. a means for adjusting the extent of r :rvrard movement of said. die ii'nlependently of the actuation of the form.

5. A heel buildil'ig machine, having in combination, a table provided with a flexible U-shaped form on its work sinnnn'lii face aranged to ei'nbrace a heel at its and curved end, guideways arranged on opposite sides of said snrface,.slides in said guideways having their inner ends connected. with said form, levers pivoted lltil-,\-ltll their ends on said table having ends coir nected with said slides, means for impar "11g equal moven'ienl to said levers and means for guiding the curved end of the form for movement in the direction of the length of the lift receiving space.

(3. In a heel building machi'na a table provided with a contractile form on its work supporting surface, levers pivoted between their ends on the sides of said table and arranged to actuate said form, a. guideway in said table extending longitudinally of said form, a slide in said guideivay, a breast gage arranged for movement with said slide, a lever, having a cam slot, pivoted on the front of said table and arranged to actuate said slide, and means for imparting simultaneous movement to each of said levers comprising a movable head provided with toggle links arranged to transmit motion to said side levers and a pin carried by said head arrai'igcd to engage the cam slot in said front lever.

7. [na heel building machine, the combi nation of a form constructed of a crmtinuous piece of flexible material arranged to provide a lift receiving space, the sides of said form being relatively mo able transversely and the rear end l'ieii'ig freely mow able hmgiti'idinally of the lift receiving space, n'ieans for effecting relative movement of the sides of the form to press them against the edges of the lifts being ass emblcd, a breast die having a rigid lift engaging surface for forcing the lifts rcarvvardly into the form, and means for positively moving said breast die longitudinally of the form. In testimony whereof I have st ed my name to this specification in the pi'e sence of two subscribing witnesses.

' ELIPHAL ET A. TRIPP.

.VVitnesses:

' Bmmann Bannows,

ALLAN H. BARROWS. 

